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From how we manage our to-do list to where we charge our phones at night, these strategies will help you find the peace and serenity we’re all craving this season.

As we head into the new year, it’s more important than ever to prioritize wellness, nurturing ourselves with the self-care that we need.

We know that a well-established routine can boost our mood and lower our stress levels. Rituals and habits can be especially healing during the holiday season, helping us to recharge, stay focused and balance our energy for the coming weeks.

clear YES, it’s time to reevaluate how we’re spending our evening hours.

THREE MORNING RITUALS TO START TODAY

1. Create before we consume. Take the time to establish our mindset for the day – how we’re really feeling, what’s happening in our own minds, what’s important to us – before we are influenced by the barrage of messaging via social or news media. Use this time for creative projects, mindful reading or listening to inspiring podcasts.

2. MOVEMENT. This can be a full-on workout or can be as short as a 90-second movement burst or even just a bit of stretching – incorporating some level of movement helps us to tune into our mind and our body, starting our day with a built-in dose of mindfulness.

3. GET OUTDOORS. Nature’s healing effect on our mind, body and spirit is unparalleled. If at all possible, get a dose of outside time, daily. 

And since we know that a positive morning starts with a mindful evening the night before, here are 3 evening rituals that will make our mornings even better.

THREE EVENING RITUALS TO START TONIGHT

1. Refresh your to-do list. Review your to-do list from the day, prioritizing the top 3 or 5 things that you really need – or want – to accomplish tomorrow. Letting go of the issues from the day allows our mind to rest, rather than obsess or dream about what needs to be done tomorrow.

2. Charge your phone in a different room. Our entire lives are on these devices, so if we’re using our phone as an alarm clock (which so many of us do), it’s tempting to look at alerts, texts, emails or social media anytime we pick up our phone to check the time. If the idea of charging your phone in a nearby-but-separate space is paralyzing, at least give it a trial run. Commit to even just three nights. I promise it’s doable.

3. Would you wake up early to do what you’re staying up late to do? Answering this question honestly can be a game-changer. Would you wake up 90 minutes earlier to scroll through social – or mindlessly channel surf, or go down the rabbit hole of online shopping?

THE BOTTOM LINE

All six of these rituals can be started, today. But layering even just one or two of these behaviors into our daily routine can have a tremendous benefit, helping to bring us a sense of peace and clarity that will extend well beyond the holidays.

WANT MORE WELL BEING STRATEGIES?

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Want more from Molly?  Click here to sign up for Eat Fit Wellness Bites weekly e-newsletter with links to her Get the Skinny TV segments here on WGNO and more!   Follow Molly on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram:  @MollyKimballRD – and check out her weekly podcast; just search ‘Molly Kimball’ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.